The prison service refutes the deterioration of I. Rahimov�s condition (updated)

Baku/22.08.19/Turan: The prison service claims that I.Rahimov has no health problems. He is in the medical unit of the Baku pre-trial detention center and does not have any health problems, stated by the head of the public relations department of the Prison Service Mehman Sadigov. He said that Rahimov is under the supervision of doctors and he drinks water.

Ikram Rahimov, editor of the realliq.info website, continues hunger strike for 16 days in the Baku pre-trial detention center, he told his family members by phone on the evening of August 22.

According to relatives, Rahimov said that his health worsened even more, he could no longer walk, and he was dizzy.

Rahimov said that he would continue the hunger strike until the end.

Rahimov demands consideration of the appeal with a second judicial investigation and a change in the composition of the judges in his case.

*Rahimov was detained on October 26, 2018, charged with extortion by threats and arrested. Before his arrest, Rahimov said that he was being persecuted because of criticism of the assistant to the president Ali Hasanov.

On June 12, the court sentenced him to 5.5 years in prison. On August 7, a preliminary hearing was held in the Baku Court of Appeal in the case of Rahimov. The defense requested a second judicial investigation, new interrogations of witnesses and victims due to falsification of their testimonies in the trial court. The lawyer also asked to appoint a re-examination of the audio recording of Rahimov's telephone conversations for the same reason. However, the applications were not granted. In protest, Rahimov went on a hunger strike. On August 21, he challenged the composition of the court and the hearings were adjourned to 28 August. -06B--